Sinn Féin - On Your Side

SDLP challenged on Registration Law

Sinn Féin MP for Fermanagh & South Tyrone Michelle Gildernew has said that
concerns being expressed by the SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone about people with
disabilities being refused access to the Electoral Register are
'hypocritical given the fact that the legislation being used to discriminate
against them came at the behest of the SDLP'.

Ms Gildernew said:

"The legislation under which the registration process is conducted was
introduced two years ago at the behest of the SDLP and the unionists. The
result has been for 211,000 people to lose their vote. It directly
discriminates against people with disabilities, low incomes, literacy
problems and those seeking to vote for the first time.

"Sinn Féin has been campaigning for a change in the legislation for
sometime. The SDLP are on public record as supporting the new regulations
including those which Patsy McGlone now claims are discriminatory. People
have a right to know what the SDLP position is. Do they believe as Mr
McGlone claims that the legislation is discriminatory or do they support it,
which has been the position over the past two years. The SDLP need to
clarify their position.

"If they now believe the legislation to be flawed then they should join with
Sinn Féin in demanding that the British government amend the Act and remove
the discriminatory elements from the legislation and help restore public
confidence in the Electoral process." ENDS